Dancing Update #345

I’ve had a ton of people ask if there is a DVD of our DANCING WITH THE STARS performances. Ok, at least my mom asked. Due to union rules, only certain amounts of the performance could be documented. The best way to see what we did is through Victoria Hong’s report on Channel 4.

Great job Vic! Thanks for making us look good!

The 80’s definitely had the best game shows, but there were some good ones in the other decades too. Here’s three that I miss…

Monopoly: It ran for only 13 episodes in 1990. Every episode was rushed as the gameplay took every last second of each episode to complete (I’m sure there was some editing involved to help this happen). I remember reading that the host was originally supposed to be Peter Tomarken (from Press Your Luck). But for whatever reason, they ended up going with Mike Reilly (a former Jeopardy contestant). He did a great job and it’s too bad the show didn’t last.

Second Chance: This was the original version of the 80’s classic Press Your Luck. It was produced by the same company and was very similar to its predecessor. Jim Peck was the host of this one and the whammies weren’t in it – it was devils instead. It aired in the spring of 1977 on ABC.

Greed: A Chuck Woolery hosted game from 1999. I auditioned to be on this one, but didn’t make it. I was asked two questions in the course of the audition. One I got right – the other, definitely not. They wanted to know what Telly Savalas kept putting in his mouth on Kojak. I had no idea. Knowing the show was on FOX, I answered with something edgy. The answer was something very un-edgy – a lollipop. Oh well. I still loved the game show and even went to a couple tapings (the set was just as scary looking in person as it seems on TV). The Terminator segments were sometimes uncomfortable to watch, but that was Greed.

If you listen to the Retro Show on Star 102.5 regularly, please don’t leave. I want you to stay in Buffalo forever.

But if you don’t, check this awesome home out. It’s actually a cave house in Missouri and it’s for sale on eBay!

The cost – only $300,000.

The benefits – you’ll never pay for air conditioning (or heating if you like it a little cold). That’s all part of the natural package. And loud neighbors definitely won’t be an issue.

I would love to live in a house like this. I go to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky just about every other year and I’ve been to Meramac Caverns (not too far from this cave house) a few times too.

If I had the money and actually wanted to live in Missouri, I’d love to live somewhere like this. The picture of the back chamber (below) would sell me on it. But I love the northeast and even this wouldn’t convince me to leave.

Check out a news story on the cave home, then go make a bid! Hurry though – the auction ends March 11th.

Tonight will be the closest this strange green comet (Lulin) will get to Earth in the next million years. It won’t appear this big obviously, but you might be able to see it with the naked eye if you’re away from city lights. If not, check it out with binoculars or a telescope.

The Baltimore Sun has the best description of where to look for it tonight. Halfway up in the southeastern sky you’ll see Regulus (the brightest star in the Leo constellation) and Saturn. Just below and to the right of Saturn, you’ll see Lulin.

Let’s hope for starry skies tonight!

Clean The Furniture… And Wait To Buy New

Here’s a neat article from the Wall Street Journal on how the economy is affecting the furniture cleaning and upholstery business. Funny…I remember my parents had the same furniture for 18 years. The whole time I thought they were just boring and didn’t want to update. As I got older I realized that with three boys, there was no way they would invest in new furniture only to have us break/stain it, and that they were also fiscally smart!

You’re invited!

But don’t bother showing up in person. I’m sure security will escort you away pretty quick.

What you’re invited to do is see what you missed. Prince will put highlight clips from his Oscar party on his website. So when Monday rolls around, check out all the fun and craziness that a Prince party is sure to be filled with.

Last year, Prince jammed with Stevie Wonder and John Legend. This year – who knows…

While I wait for the casting call for Solitary 4.0, here’s a reality show you might be interested in applying for.

It’s The World’s Strictest Parents from the producers of Supernanny and The Real Housewives of New York City (that should give you a little idea of what you’d be in for if you try out for this).

They’re looking for real-life out of control 15 – 18 year olds & strict parents. The plan – to have the crazy teen live with the strict parents for two weeks. I’m thinking some houses are going to get destroyed in this one.

Check out the application here. Good luck…

Yesterday, me and Air Gordon were talking about some restaurants that really need to be in Buffalo. Here’s some that would make me so happy if they would come here…

CiCi’s Pizza: I hear commercials for this all-you-can-eat pizza place all the time. But is there one anywhere near Buffalo? No. The closest one is in Erie, PA at 4045 Butler Road.

I finally got the chance to eat at one about two years ago when I visited my cousin in Virginia. It was awesome. They had tons of different pizzas to choose from (including dessert pizzas) and salads too. I want that here!

Sheetz: OK, I know, it’s a gas station. But inside the store there’s a 24-hour Made To Order food section. And they make the most awesome hamburgers. And then there’s the two hot dogs for 99 cents. Or the breakfast stuff – Shmuffins, Shmiscuitz, or Shmagelz. And don’t ever forget the no-bake peanut butter cookies for dessert! One of the many highlights of going to Knoebels amusement park is eating at Sheetz on the way there and back.

Once again, the closest one for us is in Erie, PA. Why can’t they expand just a little ways down the road to Buffalo? I’d eat there so often that just what I’d spend would make it worth it for them to come here!

Fazoli’s: A fast food Italian restaurant! They used to be around western New York, but no more. Now the closest one is 183 miles away in Howe, Indiana. I would order the sampler platter every time I went there (with meat lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, fettuccine alfredo, and ziti with meat sauce) – mmmmm. Please come back Fazzoli’s!

Jack In The Box: I lived on Jack In The Box food the last couple years I was in Los Angeles. The Jumbo Jack, Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake was usually what I’d get.

It’ a really long day trip if you want to eat here. The closest ones to Buffalo are in North Carolina, Tennessee, or Illinois.

Tommy’s: The full name is actually The Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers. This was also somewhere I’d eat when I was in Los Angeles. Now In-N-Out was good in L.A. (they had the famous not-on-the-official-menu protein style burger – instead of a bun, the burger is surrounded by a giant bun-sized chunk of lettuce). Fatburger was good too. But Tommy’ s was my favorite of the bunch. The prices were more reasonable and I thought the burgers were far better.

It’s pretty much a plane ride to get to Tommy’s. There’s a bunch around the Los Angeles area. There’s also one a little closer in Henderson, Nevada (near Las Vegas). If you’re near one, go – your stomach will be very happy.

Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips: Remember the triangular pieces of fish and the giant french fries (chips as they call them). Yummmm! I remember the chips being a lot wider than they are in the picture actually. Sadly, the closest Arthur Treacher’s is 2-1/2 hours away a little north of Syracuse. But it’s not too far out of the way if you’re going to the State Fair later this year!

Feel free to comment and suggest other awesome restaurants that should be in Buffalo. I’m sure I’ve missed some.

Carrie’s been dating hockey star Mike Fisher of the Ottawa Senators. For some unknown reason, she doesn’t want you or anyone else to know that.

Monday night, she was at one of his games and Canada’s TSN Network caught some video of her and put it up on the Jumbotron.
A brief freak out followed. See the 7-second video here.

Also in the Star Report, I mentioned a petition for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to come to Buffalo and help out the family who’s home was destroyed in the recent plane crash. Go here to sign it.

It usually takes until about the top 12 when it finally becomes easy to distinguish who’s who. But one Idol contestant is already standing out as an attention hog. Tatiana Nicole Del Toro.

And now, fitting for her, someone has gone and turned her into the ultimate attention hog in this new YouTube video.

DANCING W BUFFALO STARS RECAP


The show was a blast to be in, and hopefully for you to watch. If you weren’t there, you can read the Buffalo News review here. I think Anne Neville did a fine job reviewing the show, although on behalf of Tony Masiello and I, we really did work hard at our parts and tried very much to be more than pivot points (my words, not hers) for our female partners.

Again thanks to Kat Fenn, my partner and teacher. At only 23 you can tell that very soon she will be doing something HUGE. The BPO members I spoke to thought she was the most impressive dancer in the show. And thanks to my wife Linda, for putting up with me these past two weeks. Between nerves, rehearsals, my reticence to even accept the challenge, and my normal neurotic self, I don’t know how she put up with me. Thanks as well to Air Gordon Scherer, who came to the show Saturday and gave major emotional support the whole time, except for when he said “I have a stomach ache for you” about a week before the show!

As for the performance…we were pretty happy with it! There were a few moves we could have done better, but many that could have gone worse. So I would give it a B+. By the way, with my lack of dance ability, it would take an A+ by me to equal a B for a normal person. Hope that makes sense!

Had to pick this one for today because it’s goodbye to the 80’s After Work. But don’t worry – the 80’s aren’t going goodbye completely – don’t worry about that. Starting tonight at 6pm, it’s the Star 102.5 Retro Show – with 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s music all by request!

And for those of you who remain as obsessed with the 80’s as I am, check back here soon. I’ve been working on something for over a year now and I’m hoping to launch it within the next month or so. I’m sure you’ll love it if you love the 80’s as much as I do.

For now, go see Night Ranger’s Goodbye video and get ready for the Star 102.5 Retro Show starting tonight at 6pm!

It’s strange how a video can completely change what your original perception of a song is.

I always thought this song was about sitting in your car near a river as you ponder your life. But watching the video, that apparently isn’t the case at all.

Is it about a drag race or a roulette game? You decide as you see the video for Sitting At The Wheel by The Moody Blues…